The United States takes the pitch in the Round of 32, looking to move past Bosnia-Herzegovina and into the Round of 16. Below, I explain why this is a solid matchup for Team USA and why I believe they will advance with relative ease. I also highlight why England is in for a tough match against DR Congo and why Senegal is being severely undervalued against Belgium. Here are the best 2026 World Cup picks for Wednesday, July 1st’s game Belgium vs. Senegal.
Catch Top-Flight Soccer Action on DAZN>>
Wednesday’s Best 2026 World Cup Picks & Predictions: Belgium vs. Senegal
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Belgium vs. Senegal
Belgium and Senegal are each coming off massive wins against weaker teams, with Belgium defeating New Zealand 5-1 and Senegal defeating Iraq 5-0. It's worth noting that Iraq played over 85 minutes of that match with only 10 players. However, neither team was convincing before those results, so I don't really know what to make of either squad.
That said, Senegal at least has the excuse of playing in an incredibly difficult group. Though Senegal lost to both Norway and France, both games were competitive. I particularly liked what I saw against France, where the score was 0-0 until the 66th minute and just 1-0 until the 82nd.
Belgium's offense has been very frustrating aside from that match against New Zealand. The Belgians didn't score at all against Iran, and they managed just a 1-1 draw against Egypt. While Senegal allowed three goals in two of three group matches, those performances came against two of the best offensive teams in the tournament.
All that said, I'm going to back Senegal to win this match in regulation. While many bettors will focus on records, Senegal looked like a better team than Belgium during the group stage. Senegal's defense is pesky; it just couldn't stop Kylian Mbappé or Erling Haaland. Is that really a reason to count Senegal out?
Pick: Senegal (+255)
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.